This invention relates generally to adhesive mountings for wall fixtures, and more particularly to a mounting assembly which, though of exceptional strength, can readily be withdrawn from the wall without in any way impairing the wall surface.
The term "wall fixture," as used herein, is intended to encompass any form of bracket, hook, standard, hanger or other device attachable to a wall for the purpose of supporting or suspending an object therefrom.
The typical household or office wall is fabricated of plaster or plaster board, the outer surface of which is painted or covered by wall paper. If one wishes to securely mount a fixture on the wall to support a relatively heavy object, this is ordinarily done by screw-receiving wall plugs, screw anchors or anchor bolts insertable in holes drilled in the wall. When it later becomes necessary to remove the fixtures and the wall anchors therefor, holes remain in the wall which are unsightly and therefore require patching. In the case of a papered wall, such patching does not replace the holes drilled in the paper.
In those situations in which the fixtures are to be temporarily attached to a wall or where the drilling of holes therein is interdicted, it is the present practice to make use of fixtures having a pressure-sensitive base, such as the fixtures disclosed in my copending application, above-identified. With these fixtures, all that need be done is to press the fixture against the wall.
The quality of pressure-sensitive adhesives now commercially available is such that a very strong adhesive bond can be created between the fixture and the wall. Indeed, the bond is often so strong that when the magnitude of the load is such as to rupture this bond, the adhesive carries with it a portion of the wall plaster, leaving an unsightly scar thereon. And even when the fixture is deliberately removed from the wall, it is difficult to do so without marring the wall surface.
If in order to avoid mutilating the wall surface, use is made of a more easily detached pressure-sensitive adhesive which does not take the plaster or paint with it when removing a fixture from the wall, the resultant adhesive bond is generally too weak to permit the fixture to support anything other than very light loads.
The most pertinent prior art references uncovered in a preliminary search are the following:
The U.S. patent to Engert, U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,915, which discloses an arrangement to support a tin can against a wall, use being made of a small metal bracket adapted to engage the rim of the can, the bracket being connected by eyelets to a base sheet of relatively large area which has a pressure-sensitive layer to adhere the sheet to a wall.
The U.S. patent to Shibata, U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,072, in which a base sheet which is adhesively attached to a wall, has welded thereon an article holder.
The U.S. patent to Frye, U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,538, which discloses a multi-layer plastic structure with a hook embedded in an intermediate layer, the base layer being adhered to the wall.
Also of interest are the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,968,460 (Van Dusen): 3,259,348 (Dann); 2,486,593 (Gardner); and 3,079,117 (Margulis).